At Sixes and Sevens
by kiddstar
Summary: And sometimes eights. / / "Go on a date with me." "What?" "You, me, date. You know... Dinner, a movie, the whole shebang." "Let me think about it." "Yeah, yeah, I kno- ... Wait- What?" / / Rewrite! Updates every second Wednesday. Cover by the lovely Cinder42 on deviantArt! Friendship/Romance/Adventure/Mystery
1. Chapter 1

Black Star didn't know how he'd gotten here.

Okay, no, no. That was a major lie. He knew _exactly_ how he'd gotten here; another stupid bet. Another stupid bet gone wrong. The kicker was that it wasn't even an abnormal thing! Bets between him and Soul, him and Kid, him and Kilik, went wrong all the time! Someone got physical, or someone got Maka Chopped, or someone got a bit embarrassed. This, though... This was different. He was disgusted that he had let that dumb bet drag on this long. He'd hurt Kid, badly, and if it hadn't been for his own pride he could have avoided this outcome entirely.

It wasn't behavior fit for surpassing the Gods, not that he worried about that stuff anymore. What God needed to surpass another? A foolish one, that was who. He was no fool, despite the way recent events had him feeling.

... That stupid bet! He just wanted things to be normal again. Back to where he was secure in the knowledge that nothing could develop between him and Kid, content just staying by his side while each of them had boyfriends and girlfriends who weren't each other and shared the occasional "feel better, dude" hug after aforementioned relationships failed.

Now he knew different, though. That all these years, he hadn't been alone in his feelings, hadn't been the only one not to make a move just because he assumed nothing meaningful could develop between them. Now he knew that it could, and that it had, and that he was the reason it had all gone to shit.

He looked around for a moment before ducking his head down again, remembering that Kid wasn't on the bus, and even if he was he wouldn't be looking at Black Star. _Polaris_ , Kid had called him, only days before. His guiding star. He forced himself not to let out humorless laugh, leaning his head against the window and resolving to stare out for the rest of the ride home.

Guiding star... Yeah, right. How could he guide anyone when he was so lost himself?


	2. Chapter 2

Excitement and sadness hung in the air that early Winter morning. Bags were juggled and hefted so as not to touch the grimy, melting slush on the ground.

"-ck Star, remember to do your laundry while I'm gone, please. Meals are in the fridge and freezer, just defrost them or heat them up-"

"Tsubaki, I got this! Chill, okay? I'll be fine!"

 _"-u dare get us in trouble, Soul. The last thing I need is to be on toilet cleaning duty with you for months after we get back."_

 **"Liz-"**

 **"Remember to eat, Kid."**

 **"... Of course, Liz."**

 **"And make sure Patty does too. You know how she gets."**

 **"I know."**

Several of Stein's students, including some key members of Spartoi, were loading on to a coach bus in preparation for a two-week long seminar put on by some of the top scythes and meisters in the world. When the two weeks was up, the other half of the students would attend. They were all excited, of course- this was a once in a lifetime chance- but it was a little bittersweet as well. Friends, even scythe and meister pairs, would be split up for about a month with only a small break to see each other as the groups switched places.

"This blows," Kilik complained, Thunder and Lightning clinging to his legs as one Jackie and Ox tried to convince the latter to board the bus, Harvar standing behind them silently.

"It won't be that bad, dude!" Black Star slung an arm around his neck, nearly choking him with the force of it. "Think: it could be worse! We could be stuck with Hiro!" Kim snickered, Ox wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Save me," Jackie mouthed, and Kim just blew her a kiss. Kilik patted Thunder's head as Jackie finally convinced Lightning to take her hand, leading the younger toward the bus with Ox and Harvar following with the bags.

"Five minutes until departure!" Marie bellowed, shooting Stein a look before he could yell something about the students getting their asses on the bus. Black Star, Kilik, Thunder and Kim walked to where Kid, Patty and Jackie stood by the bus, talking up to the rest of Spartoi.

"Can someone please make sure Black Star does laundry while I'm gone?" That elicited a few laughs, and a wounded look from Black Star.

"Do you even know how to do laundry?" Kid asked, glancing back at him with a raised brow, not seeming that interested in the answer.

"Of course!" Tsubaki looked at her meister skeptically, but he gave her a reassuring grin as the bus started, reaching up to squeeze her hand. "Just go have fun, Tsubaki! Don't worry about me, I can handle myself!"

The bus departed shortly after, lots of goodbyes yelled to and from the vehicle. Patty waved enthusiastically until the bus was gone, then turned to Kid and started chattering as they started on the way home, Patty walking in front of Kid but backwards to face him. Kilik left to take Thunder home; Kim and Jackie headed in the opposite direction, going to their apartment. It wasn't until most of the students had left that Black Star hopped down from his perch on a wall and headed to his own apartment. He unlocked his door once there, flipping on the kitchen light and then deciding against it, flipping it off again. He dragged his feet over to the couch, flopping face down on it with a groan, an arm dangling down on the floor. One month without Tsubaki... Awful. Awful! Not just his partner, but one of his best friends. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Soul and Maka hadn't gone, too, but they had.

There was a knock at the door, and he dragged himself off the couch, opening the door and letting the hallway light spill into the apartment. Kilik stood there, two pizza boxes in hand and a plastic bag on his wrist. He squinted into the dark apartment, shaking his head at Black Star.

"Dude. Why's it so dark?" Black Star shrugged with a sheepish grin, looking around. "Alright, whatever. Let me in, turn on a light man!"

An hour later found them on the couch, soda bottles and pizza boxes on the coffee table as they played video games.

"I'm glad you came over," Black Star admitted, wiping a greasy hand on his shorts. "It hasn't even been a day since they left and I swear I was gonna go crazy with how quiet it is." Kilik nodded, letting out a whoop as he won the round, Black Star's character knocked out on the ground.

"I didn't have anyone to hang out with, either. Kim and Jackie aren't exactly my ideal company- they're so sickeningly in love, dude, you seen 'em?"

"Honeymoon phase," Black Star said sagely; Kilik snorted.

"For the past two years?" They both laughed, starting another round of their game. "Anyway. I love Thunder, but I don't really wanna spend my free time with a little kid, you know? I love spending time with 'em, but sometimes I need chill time, not kid time." Black Star nodded. "Speaking of Kid- He's not good company, either. Doubt we'll see hide or hair of him except at school until Liz is back." Black Star considered a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, probably. He's not bad company when he is company, though." Kilik eyed him skeptically for a moment, then nodded.

"Ah. Got it. You still have that raging hard-on for him." Black Star choked on his soda; Kilik paid no mind, beating him in the game again while he got up to get water and wipe up his shirt.

"Warn a guy!" He complained as he sat on the couch again, letting out another cough and thumping a hand against his chest a couple of times.

"Well you do, don't you?" Black Star stayed quiet as they started another round, only speaking once it was over, Kilik losing.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean- No, I don't have a boner for him, God. But I like him. Like, like like."

"'Like like'? What is this, third grade?" Kilik laughed while Black Star scowled, thumping his friend in the shoulder with a fist.

"Don't be an ass!"

"You should ask him out." Black Star looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I dare you."

"You dare me? What is this, third grade?" He mimicked, but Kilik just grinned.

"What? Scared he'll say no?"

"I _know_ he'll say no. He's not exactly interested in me, I don't know if you've noticed." Kilik shrugged, putting his controller down once the round ended to get another piece of pizza.

"I'll give you five bucks if you ask him," he said through a mouthful of pizza, and Black Star rolled his eyes.

"So now we're up to sixth grade?" Kilik grinned in response and took another bite of pizza, swallowing before speaking again.

"So he says no, so what? Big deal. It's not like you get embarrassed." That was a valid point. "He might, though- He never shows any emotion, don't you think it'd be nice to see him acting human for once? I'll give you ten bucks if you ask him."

Black Star rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous," he said, even as he set his controller down and reached out to shake Kilik's hand. Kilik showed his teeth in another grin, grasping Black Star's hand and shaking it.

"It's a deal," he said, more a question than anything as he looked at his friend.

"It's a deal," Black Star replied, somewhat reluctantly.

* * *

** A/N: Please be sure to check out the poll I have up! You can find it on my profile page or in my forum here:

(fanfiction dot net)/topic/197580/156666787/1/ASaS-Updates-Poll


	3. Chapter 3

Kilik stayed over, more because they both passed out on the couch rather than actual planning. After waking up three minutes before class without setting an alarm, the two showed up ten minutes late amidst titters from the other students.

"We don't care what you do in your free time, but please do not allow your philandering to interfere with _school_ time," the teacher (a substitute; they'd never seen her before) said, sounding unamused. A chorus of "ooooh"'s came from their classmates, reminding Black Star of the night before. Middle schoolers. They were all acting like they were twelve.

"Nah, nah, Star's got his eye on someone else," Kilik said with a grin, sliding into his seat next to Black Star as the latter rolled his eyes.

"Suck a dick!" Black Star said brightly; this (unsurprisingly) earned him a talking to after class, but that wasn't unusual.

* * *

"Dude," Black Star said with a wince. He was sitting at lunch with Kim, Jackie, Patty, Kid and Kilik, the latter of whom he was addressing. "My binder is killing me. Come to the bathroom and help me fix it." In his rush to get to school that morning, he hadn't taken the time to adjust his chest binder with the same carefulness as usual.

"I'm still eating, man," Kilik complained, shoving more pizza in his mouth. "Can't you do it yourself? Or get Jackie to. She knows how to do it."

"Jackie can't go in the dudes' bathroom!" Black Star stood, reaching under the back of his shirt to try and at least relieve himself of some discomfort.

"I'll go," Kid said with a sigh, setting down the book he had been reading. "I'm not eating anyway, and even if i was, you'd think that the comfort of a friend was a little more important." He looked Kilik up and down and shook his head imperceptibly. No doubt he was thinking something disdainful.

"You sure, Kiddo? It's no big deal," Black Star assured, making to sit down again; Kid gestured impatiently for him to get up again, Kilik muttering something.

"It is a big deal, you dimwit. Do you want to destroy your ribs? Honestly, Black Star, I expected that you of all people would care about your body more than this." Kilik snickered and Black Star whapped the back of his head with a hand before offering a sheepish grin to Kid.

"If you say so, Kiddo!" He slung an arm around the taller's shoulder and was shrugged off just a couple of seconds later; Kilik gave him a meaningful look as they walked toward the bathroom, no doubt expecting Black Star to have asked Kid by the time they returned. He didn't. He was too grateful to Kid for helping him to bug him with the question Black Star knew he'd say no to anyway.

Kid was the only cis guy other than Kilik that Black Star had ever had help him with his binder; it was a little nerve wracking, if he was being honest. Was Kid comparing the two of them in his head? Did he think he was more of a man than Black Star just because Black Star happened to have boobs? Kid didn't make any comments, though; he just helped Black Star to fix his binder, his fingers ice cold against Black Star's back.

"We're done," Kid announced after a few minutes, looking at Black Star in the mirror. "Does that feel better, or is it too tight?" Black Star grinned.

"It's perfect! Thanks, Kiddo." Kid nodded, stepping back and examining Black Star critically before adjusting his shirt a bit, no doubt needing to make him look more symmetrical.

"You should finish your lunch now. I'm sure the bell-" He was interrupted by said bell, and Black Star clapped him on the back once.

"Thanks again!" He jogged out of the bathroom to the lunchroom; Jackie was waiting with the remains of his food at the door, and he took it gratefully, attempting to finish it as they walked together to class.

* * *

"You had three chances today alone when you could have asked!" Kilik was over at Black star's house again, the two of them babysitting Thunder (who was fast asleep in Kilik's lap) and playing card games.

"I didn't want to bug him!" Black Star insisted, putting a card down on the discard pile. "Since he was the only one who stepped up and helped me in my time of need-"

"Oh, please, stop exaggerating." Kilik laughed, drawing a card from the pile. "I'm sure you loved the chance to be shirtless around him anyway." Black Star was quiet for a moment, looking at his cards and drawing one.

"You think he even sees me as a guy?" Kilik looked up, startled, blinking a few times.

"Dude, what? Of course he does. Why wouldn't he?" Black Star just shrugged, waiting for Kilik to take his turn. Kilik fiddled with his cards.

"... That why you don't wanna ask him?"

"What? No! He's gonna say no regardless, that's why I don't wanna ask." Black Star forced a laugh, watching as Kilik took his turn.

"Okay, good." Kilik looked up at him before looking back to his cards. "Because if that's why you don't wanna ask, you don't have to." He didn't have to anyway, which they both knew, but Black Star appreciated the sentiment behind it.

"Please!" Black Star laughed, discarding a card with a grin. "You think the mighty Black Star is afraid of some guy being a transphobe? The worst that happens is I have to kick his ass, right?"

"Right." Kilik grinned back, if uneasily. Kid wasn't just "some guy" to Black Star, and they both knew it. His crush, his teammate, his friend (if you could call him that). Maybe goading Black Star into asking had been a mistake.

* * *

** A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry the update's a couple days late, I didn't have time to get on and upload this until now! If you haven't voted in the update poll, please do! You can find it on my profile page or in my forum here:

(fanfiction dot net)/topic/197580/156666787/1/ASaS-Updates-Poll


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning saw Black Star waking up to his phone alarm; groggily, he shut it off, flopping back on his bed. No way he'd slept 8 hours; he felt dead. He hadn't slept well, he supposed; Kilik had gone home around nine, and Black Star had gotten to sleep about ten, having nothing else better to do. His phone went off again and he picked it up, squinting at the screen through the darkness. Why was Soul calling him?

"H'lo," he grumbled, flopping back down on his bed and closing his eyes.

"Dude, did you just reject my call?"

"Huh?" Black Star sat up, yawning and checking the time. 1 AM. "Soul, what the fuck. It's one in the morning."

"It's seven PM, assho- _What_ , Maka?" A pause. "Oh. Shit, timezones. Sorry, dude." Black Star just grunted, standing and putting on a shirt before walking to the kitchen.

"Whaddaya want?" He reached into the fridge, rummaging around. May as well eat something.

"Tsubaki asked me to see how you're doing 'cause she's been so busy." He straightened, drinking out of the milk carton and then burping into the phone. "Dude, nasty! So uncool."

"I'm good," Black Star said, putting the milk back and taking out leftover pizza, leaning against the counter. "Been hanging with Kilik and them at lunch and stuff. Having a grand ol' time without you guys." Soul snorted and Black Star took a bite of cold pizza, hopping up on to the counter. He hadn't even bothered to turn a light on.

"You sound like you're having _so_ much fun without us," Soul said; there was a _thump_ and Soul cursing. No doubt he was Maka chopped.

"Oh, trust me, Soul, I am." He'd never noticed how quiet the city was at night; it was sort of lonely. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, Black Star steadily working through the pizza.

"Hey, Soul. You think Kid sees us as dudes?" Soul was quiet on the other line. "Dude?"

"Why're you asking?" He sounded weird; Black Star brushed it off.

"I dunno, just something I was talking with Kilik about today. I don't really know Kid's stance on trans people. Or gay people. Or any people, I guess, except for like. You know. Himself? Liz? Patty? I can't really explain what I mean, like I know he's a good guy, but-"

"I get it, Star," Soul said flatly; there was a weird, tense silence that lasted a few seconds. "Just ask him if you're that worried about it. I should go, dude, you need to go back to bed." Black Star hummed in agreement, hopping down from the counter and putting the pizza box back in the fridge. He was tired; that must be why Soul seemed to be so weird tonight. "Maka says to call if your binder tears again, she'll walk you through how to fix it. She's doing mine right now."

"'Kay. Tell Tsubaki I'm fine," he reminded, walking to his room and flopping down in bed again. "Night, Soul."

"Night, Star."

* * *

** A/N: To whoever unfollowed and unfavorited ASAS because I'm writing Black Star as trans: fuck you but also thanks for giving me the motivation to a) write a previously unneeded chapter and b) do a double update. In other news: if you haven't voted in the update poll, please do! You can find it on my profile page or in my forum here:

(fanfiction dot net)/topic/197580/156666787/1/ASaS-Updates-Poll


	5. Chapter 5

** A/N: spoilers ahead if you haven't completed the manga? tbh i've forgotten a lot of it and am rereading rn so maybe some stuff isn't ~completely canon~ but yeah

* * *

The day had dawned dark and dreary and somehow, despite having woken up before the sun, Black Star found himself late for class and thus condemned to stand outside for the first ten minutes or so. He held himself up on two fingers, tongue stuck out in concentration as he drew small pictures in the corner of the wall, all with his signature cleverly worked in somehow. After years, he had quite the collection going.

"Late again? Or maybe just disruptive?" Black Star turned his head, then flipped down onto his feet with a grin, sticking his marker in his pocket.

"Late! Not that you're one to talk, Kiddo." He aimed a playful punch at Kid's shoulder, but Kid smoothly dodged it, hands still in his pockets. Black Star waved to Patty, who stood just behind Kid; she waved back with both hands and a wide smile.

"Have fun in the hallway," Kid said cheekily, leading the sisters into the classroom.

"You, too!" Black star replied, folding his arms and leaning against the wall with a grin.

"... I forgot there was a sub," Kid muttered not thirty seconds later, having been sentenced to the hallway for punishment as well. Patty was inside the classroom helping with a difficult demonstration as her punishment, which left Black Star and Kid alone in the hallway. Usually Stein would let Kid off, knowing his near inability to arrive at school before eight due to his OCPD. Agitated, Kid fidgeted with his leg impatiently. Black Star knew how he hated for his routine to be interrupted.

"Here." Black Star was holding out his marker to Kid, his untattooed arm facing him. "Making things symmetrical calms you down. You can draw me another star if you want!" He gave a Trademarked Black Star Grin. Without bothering to thank him, Kid took the marker and uncapped it, carefully starting to draw a star on the other's arm.

 _I could ask him now,_ Black Star mused, staring down at the star Kid was painstakingly drawing. He was, of course, thinking of the bet between he and Kilik. It would be easy now, when no one was around; at the worst Kid would say no and Black Star would be up ten bucks. Seemed like a pretty sweet deal wither way to him.

"Hey, Kiddo."

"Mm." Black Star could tell he wasn't really paying attention.

"Go on a date with me."

"What?" Kid looked up; he didn't seem to have heard what black Star said, much less comprehended it.

"You, me, date. You know... Dinner, a movie, the whole shebang." He met Kid's eyes, giving a thumbs up and a grin. Kid looked down, returning to drawing the star on his arm.

"Let me think about it."

"Yeah, yeah, I kno-" Black Star's voice caught in his throat, processing what Kid had said. "... Wait- What?" Kid looked up again, a mildly irritated huff on his lips. No doubt the interruptions were getting to him.

"I said let me think about it. Would you rather I say no?"

"Wh- No! No," Black Star replied hastily, head spinning. "I just didn't know you were, like, uh-"

"Gay? I'm not." So... What, he didn't see Black Star as a guy? His head was still spinning, now not in a good way. "I don't really have a preference, I suppose. Boys, girls, otherwise- Who cares?" He muttered something Black Star didn't catch, his heart (and nerves) slowly calming down again, or at least losing the ugly weight they'd had in his chest. Date. Kid. A maybe- which wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a _no_.

"No, I meant. I didn't know you were into... Anyone." That seemed like the best wording. "You just seem kind of above it all, or whatever, I guess."

"Then why did you even ask?" What was he supposed to say? He and Kilik had a bet? That didn't sound good, and while it was technically the reason Black Star had asked him out, it wasn't the true one.

"... 'Cause I like you?" Kid snorted, and Black Star detected a small smile on his lips as he stepped back and admired the new star, capping the marker.

"I'll go on a date with you." That was a short amount of thinking in Black Star's opinion, but he wasn't going to complain. He just grinned and took his marker back, feeling giddy as he twirled it in his fingers.

"I guess not even gods can resist the great Black Star, huh?"

"I guess not." Kid spoke dryly, leaning back against the wall again with his hands in his pockets once more. He was no longer fidgeting, which Black Star took as a good sign.

A few minutes later, the sub allowed them both back into the classroom; Black Star let out a whoop as he walked in, heading to his seat by Kilik while Kid went a few rows down to his own seat with Patty. He rummaged in his pocket, taking out a crumpled five dollar bill and dropping it in front of his friend.

"What's this for?" Kilik whispered, glancing over to be sure the sub wasn't looking their way. Black Star just grinned widely, heart still fluttering in his chest as he nodded toward Kid. "Dude- you asked him?" A nod. "He said yes?" Another nod. Kilik smiled widely, holding out a fist to Black Star; the latter met it with his own.

"Pay attention!" The sub snapped; Black Star and Kilik muttered apologies.

* * *

"So, I hear _someone_ here has a date soon," Kilik said, putting his lunch on the table and straddling the bench. Patty giggled, pointing to her meister and stage whispering.

"It's Kid, Kilik!" Kilik laughed at her antics, nodding.

"I know, Patty."

"A date?" Kim asked, sounding a bit intrigued; she and Jackie were both looking at Kid with interest. "With who?" Kid licked his finger, turning the page in his book as Black Star finally looked up from his phone.

"With Black Star." Kim's eyes darted between them, Jackie's mouth going slack; Black Star grinned and gave a thumbs up.

"Wow. I mean... Wow." Kim sat back in her seat a bit, still looking between them. "I mean... I guess it only took like, what, four years?" Kilik snorted, Patty giggling. Kid looked up, brow raised.

"I don't follow."

"I mean, it's been totally obvious that Black Star's liked you for that long, at the least-"

"- that long?"

"- yes, Jackie, did you not know?" She shook her head, and Kim "huh"d. "Oh. Well, anyway- Kid, haven't you been crushing on him for just as long?"

"No." Kid glanced to Black Star. "There's no way it's been that long. I would have noticed." The latter smiled, giving no indication that Kim was right or wrong.

"You talking about your own feelings or Star's?" Kilik teased; Kid gave no answer, eyes slightly narrowed due to how intent they were on Black Star.

"Would you have?" Was that a faint heat on his own cheeks? He must have been imagining it; since when did he get embarrassed?

"Hm. That's certainly an interesting idea," Kid murmured, turning back to his book. Jacqueline looked at Black Star, the look on her face clearly wondering how Black Star could like someone so detached. Kid had once been just as hot headed as Black Star, but age had matured them all, possibly Kid the most. After his father's death, he'd become his current self, much more controlled and reserved. Black Star enjoyed the rare moments where he saw a bit of Kid's old self.

"Why are you staring at me?" Kid asked, looking up. Black Star rested his chin in his hand, smiling.

"'Cause I like you?" It was the same thing he'd said earlier, but this time Kid flushed slightly and kicked him underneath the table, cutting off Jackie's "aww".

* * *

** A/N: "kidd you can't rewrite an entire chapter the day you're meant to upload it just because you don't like the flow" watch me

a few things:

* **updates are now on wednesdays**! you can still vote for your preferred day in the poll, and if one has an overwhelming majority i'll try for then, instead! but for now, wednesdays seem to be my least busiest day, and i'll almost always be able to get the chapters out on time!  
*reviews on the writing, plot, and characterization are always welcome! they help me feel for what you guys want from the story, and when i can add those things in, i will. please ask for clarification on anything you need to, and questions are always welcome as well! i'll never spoil the story, so if you're worried of your question getting an answer that may be spoiler-y, it won't.  
*i'm going to be changing my username on this website! i know kwiluvu is kind of my trademark, but it's not very me anymore! it will be changed on thursday or friday (today is wednesday for me), and at that time i'll link my dA, tumblr, 8tracks, twitter, etc in my profile!  
*any fanart, soundtracks, etc. etc., you can me in on tumblr once i put the link in my profile!

see you all again next week; sorry for the longish author's note! i may start putting a/n's in a forum instead, to collect them all in one place..? please pm me or say in your review if you think i should or shouldn't do that!


	6. Chapter 6

"You notice how Kid doesn't smile as much anymore?" Maka sighed and Black Star could practically see her pinching her nose in frustration.

"Star, that is the third time during this ten minute conversation you've asked something like that. Yes, I've noticed. It's because he's stressed- being a shinigami is new to him still. I know it's been a couple of years, but he's been healing the rifts between humans and witches since his first day. We both know that, so why are you asking?" Black Star cursed quietly as he pricked his finger on the sewing needle; Maka was coaching him through fixing up his binder.

"You know why." From her lack of response, Black Star assumed she was displeased, but the soft tone to her voice surprised him.

"Black Star... It's been years and you still haven't acted on your feelings for Kid. I've never seen you hesitate over anything the way you do about him- maybe it's time to let it go?"

"I can't."

"But you could, right? Listen, Star, I know you won't be able to find someone whose on the same level as you and Kid are, but just because the two of you are so equal, that doesn't mean you have to be together!" No, it didn't. But that wasn't why Black Star liked Kid. "I just feel like maybe you're putting him on this pedestal-"

"I'm not!" Black Star immediately interrupted, pricking his finger again. "I'm not, Maka. I like every aspect of Kid I know. I'm not putting him on a pedestal- I'm the only one who deserves that!" He grinned to himself, holding his binder out and looking it over with pride.

"Every aspect, huh?" Her tone was dry, but Black Star was serious. He liked the Kid whom had beat him to a pulp the first time they met, he liked the Kid whose eyes sparkled when he spoke of the potential symmetry in the world, he liked the Kid who he sometimes held and sometimes fought at odd hours of the night and morning when Liz or Patty called him because their meister's nightmares had brought the controlled madness inside of him to the brink of exploding outward. Those times he'd never told anyone about, of course, aside from Tsubaki.

"All of him," Black star confirmed, pulling his binder on and stretching his arms up and out for a minute, testing the thread to be sure it would hold. "Especially the part of him that agreed to go on a date with me." There was no reply. "The great Black Star has shocked you into silence again, huh?" Just when the silence on the other side of the line grew worrisome, someone spoke.

"Date? With who?"

"Soul! Dude!" Black Star grinned, flopping back on his bed. "Maka said you were out!"

"I was. What's this about a date? You? No way."

"You saying I'm undateable or something?"

"Absolutely. Who'd you con into going on a date with you? I thought you still had it bad for Kid."

"No cons. It _is_ Kid."

"What's Kid?"

"The person I'm going on a date with, man, keep up." The line was silent again, and after a few moments Maka's voice came crackling through the speaker.

"Hey, Star, Soul didn't have a good day- I'm gonna go comfort him. See you!" She hung up before Black Star could reply, and he stared at his phone for a moment before giving a little shrug and setting it down. He'd be able to check on Soul later.

* * *

 _"Yo, Kiddo!" Black Star called, walking under the guillotines in the Death Room toward where Lord Death usually resided. After the moon had been enclosed in a sphere of black blood and things had calmed somewhat, Kid had raced to see his father; they all let him go, knowing how eager he was to share his status as a true Shinigami with Lord Death. It had been about half an hour and Black Star still hadn't heard from him, so he'd gone to the Death Room himself (against orders, of course- as if a few broken bones would stop him from checking on his friends)._

 _"I killed him." Black Star pulled a face; was that Kid's voice? He sped up, finding Kid kneeling on the floor where Lord Death was usually found, clutching some sort of black fabric to his chest._

 _"Kid?" Something slid from his arms to the floor- Lord Death's mask? "Kid, what happened?" Black Star was at his side now, kneeling down next to him. Fuck, it_ hurt _. He reached toward his friend, but Kid turned toward him before he was able. He looked up at Black Star, eyes bright, cheeks wet, face drawn, and Black Star swayed a bit as he was hit with an overwhelming sense of_ triumph _. Something could still break Kid, a God. They were still equal._

 _He shouldn't be happy about that. His throat closed up, and he put a shaking hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze._

 _"I killed him," Kid said again, voice hollow and quiet in the large room. Black Star recognized the fabric in his hands as Lord Death's cloak. "I became a Shinigami, and it_ killed _him." More tears spilled from his eyes, and Black Star tried desperately to squelch his growing feeling of giddiness. He felt sick to his stomach. He shouldn't be happy about Kid's pain. He_ wasn't _happy, he wasn't, why did he feel like this. "I didn't know!" Kid cried, clutching the cloak to himself tightly and burying his face in it. He looked so small curled up as he was, and Black Star wrapped his arms around him, ignoring the pain the stretching of muscles caused._

 _"_ Get off of me! _" The scene became darker, Kid suddenly looking up at him and shoving him back, not just with his hands but with his soul wavelength. He stood, towering above Black Star, the latter now sprawled on the ground staring up at him. "I know what you're thinking." Kid was 20 feet tall, and Black Star felt like 5 inches in comparison. "You're happy I'm hurting."_

 _"I'm not!" Black star protested, scrambling back._

 _"Liz, Patty." The two sisters came from either side of Black Star- had they been there the whole time? Liz's face was in shadow, Patty's mouth stretched in an overly wide grin. Kid dwarfed them all._

 _"Did you really think that Kid would fall for someone as pathetic as you? Wake up." Liz and Patty weren't near him anymore, now instead in weapon form in Kid's hands. Liz's voice was echoing through the room. Kid raised his double pistols, eyes cold, no trace of emotion in his body as Patty spoke, her voice overly cheerful._

 _"It's time to wake up, Black Star!"_

* * *

"Black Star! Wake up!" He let out a wheeze as something landed on his stomach; he pushed it off, scrambling over the side of his bed and reaching for the trashcan beside it, emptying the contents of his stomach into it before closing his eyes, leaning his forehead against his arm and taking a few deep breaths.

"Ewww! Are you sick?" Patty looked over his shoulder at him, but gagged and sat back, covering her mouth. He shook his head, giving himself exactly two more seconds of vulnerability before sitting up and grinning, stretching his arms above his head.

"Me? The great Black Star? Get sick? I don't think so!" He laughed, standing and going toward the bathroom to brush his teeth. He'd take care of the trashcan later.

"You totally missed first period! And you didn't answer our texts!" Patty cheerfully began digging through his drawers for clothes.

"Phone must have died," he said after spitting tooth paste foam into the sink. It had just been a dream. Kid didn't know the feelings he'd felt that day, and he never would. No one did but him and Tsubaki, and that's how it would stay. Nightmares were always hard for him to wake up from without an alarm, and without Tsubaki here he really needed to remember to plug his phone in at night. "Aren't _you_ skipping class by coming to get me?"

"Nope! Kid excused me! He's busy in meetings today, and he was tired of people asking if you called out sick!" She threw a shirt at the back of his head as he began to strip to get in the shower. "He said he was sure you just overslept, but everyone was ~super worried~ 'cause it was unlike you to miss a whole period unless you were fighting!" Black Star grunted, still somewhat preoccupied with his dream. Well, partial memory, he supposed. Up until Kid growing unnaturally large and trying to _murder him_ , that was pretty much how Black Star remembered things happening that day. Kid still had nightmares about his father dying, and Black Star still had nightmares about Kid finding out how he'd felt that day- those awful, ugly feelings he still hadn't come to terms with. He stepped into the shower, letting the water pound on his back and wipe away the sweat that had accumulated from his tossing and turning.

Patty came into the bathroom, dumping the rest of the clothes she'd picked out on the counter and placing his binder on top. "Nightmare?" She asked, voice as bright as always, a small edge underneath it.

"Mm." He didn't elaborate, and she didn't ask. The two had grown closer in the years since the Kishin battle, partially out of a mutual desire to protect Kid, but mostly because they easily brought everyone to their wit's end when together, cracking jokes and playing pranks. Patty was the only weapon other than Tsubaki that Black Star had successfully been able to resonate with one-on-one. He saw her as a little sister, similarly to how he felt about Maka, and the two of them had serious clashes only rarely.

He heard her in the kitchen as he got out of the shower, drying himself and putting on his clothes. Not what he'd usually wear, but not bad. He ran a comb through his wet hair and left it; he didn't really have the time to gel it up or anything, so he'd just let his cowlicks do whatever.

"Breakfast!" Patty said with a smile, shoving it in his face. "Breakfast" consisted of a peanut butter and nutella sandwich wrapped in a paper towel, and while he appreciated the effort, he needed protein.

"After school snack," he corrected, sticking the sandwich in the fridge and grabbing a snack baggie of pumpkin seeds and almonds from the freezer. He shouldered his backpack and pocketed his keys, phone and charger, heading to the door. "Ready to go?" She was out the door before he even finished speaking, skipping down the hall, and he locked the door behind the two of them with a little shake of his head.

He was glad Patty had been there when he'd woken up. He really hated crying.


	7. Chapter 7

"Don't you ever get bored with all of these meetings?" Black Star was lounging in Kid's throne, sorting through documents for him.

"It's not about whether I'm bored or not, Black Star. It's my duty."

"You said 'doody'," Patty said with a giggle, looking up at him from where she sat on the floor, alternating between homework and coloring. Kid sat just in front of Black Star on the edge of the throne, painstakingly writing out personal letters to some of the more obscure witch colonies of the world.

"Lighten up your load a little," Black Star complained, picking up a new stack of unsorted papers and beginning to sort them into piles. "How're you gonna find time to date someone as great as me when you can't even take a five minute break to have a conversation?" Kid sighed, but didn't look up from what he was writing. "Hire like... Interns or something! Unpaid interns. It'll look good on their resumes- 'worked for free for an actual god'."

"I don't trust anyone but myself to do things properly."

"But you let me help!" Kid paused.

"Yes. Well." More pausing, and Black Star let out a little ' _snrk_ '. "How can you... How can you expect to help me create my perfect world if you can't even do simple paperwork?" Black Star grinned, poking his head around Kid's shoulder to look at his face.

"Careful, Kiddo- if I didn't know better I'd think you thought I was _competent_ or something!" Kid scowled, reaching a hand back to push Black Star's face away; Black Star took his hand instead, heartbeat speeding up a little. What the fuck, he wasn't 13, no need for little heart flutters. Kid's hands were freezing, as usual, and they left Black Star's fingers feeling tingly.

"Just... Sort the papers!" Kid snapped, taking his hand away from Black Star's. Was he blushing? No way; had to be Black Star's imagination. A few minutes passed in companionable silence, the only sound Patty's occasional humming or singing.

"When do you next have time free?" Black Star stretched, putting his hands behind his head and yawning.

"... I have no clue," Kid admitted, sounding a bit chagrined. "Every time i think I almost have everything done, a whole slew of new problems come up."

"You're wearing yourself out! You gotta rest every now and then, Kid."

"Actually, I don't _need_ to sleep, and haven't in several d-" His response sounded mechanic, and Black Star pushed his shoulder to get him to quiet.

"You do _need_ sleep, whether your body does or not. _You_ do. It makes you feel normal." It wasn't a question; he already knew why Kid slept, despite having no physical need. "Make time for me this Sunday. We'll go to lunch, see a movie, it'll be fun! You need a break!" Kid was quiet for quite awhile, but Black Star knew that meant he was thinking about it. After another hour of Black Star sorting papers and Kid writing letters, the latter finally spoke.

"It can't be lunch and a movie; I have things I need to do on Sunday that won't be over until 10:30 in the morning, and then I need to make sure everything is in order for the witches' visit this upcoming week." Black Star grinned.

"Just a movie, then?"

"... I can probably swing dinner and a movie, just not lunch." Black Star pumped a fist in the air, grinning widely.

"This," Black Star declared, "Will be the best date you've ever been on!"

"Only date!" Patty chirped, and Kid shushed her. Black Star just grinned wider, sitting up a little and leaning against Kid.

"I'll have to make sure it's great enough that you never want to date anyone else, then!" He laughed and Kid pushed him back again, definitely smiling this time when Black Star took his hand.


	8. Chapter 8

Sunday couldn't come fast enough for Black Star, but as he woke up before the sunrise he decided that the day had come all too soon, leaving him with a twisting feeling in his stomach. Every attempt he'd made to talk to Soul and Maka about his upcoming date had been thwarted by something or another, and Tsubaki had been too busy to even pick up her phone- she must have had close to 50 voicemails from him by now, all several minutes long.

It wasn't like him to be nervous; unknown territory had never phased him. He pondered this as he laced up his sneakers, grabbing his water bottle from the fridge on his way out the door for his morning run. What was it about Kid that had him so up in knots, anyway? Not even Kid, really; just their date. He could talk about the date just fine without getting the heebie-jeebies (to Kid, even), but as soon as he thought about the date itself he felt a strong urge to find the nearest suitable place for vomiting, his heart up in his throat.

He waved hello to a few shopkeepers who were opening up for the day, their outside lights still on due to the lack of light outside. He glanced up at the sky distractedly; the moon was low, making way for the sun, but all that could be seen was a giant ball of black. Since Chrona's sacrifice to defeat the kishin, there had been considerably less unexplained madness in the world; people were no longer so easily turned to the path of the demon without such a strong outside source of evil. The students of Shibusen had become a bit docile, if he was being honest, and if the kishin hadn't been defeated he doubted that the trip his friends were on would even be something deemed necessary.

He stared up at where the moon should be as he ran, ducking through alleys and vaulting over fences. Was Chrona okay up there? _Physically_ , he was sure the kid was fine- but they'd been up there alone with the kishin, the strongest source of madness in the world, for nearly three years now with no end in sight. None of them had given up searching for ways to free Chrona, least of all Maka, but Black Star wasn't sure if Chrona's psyche would be... For lack of better words, _salvageable_ , after this long.

"But Maka wouldn't give up even if everyone else in the world did," he muttered, running in place as a food vendor passed slowly with their cart. He couldn't say that he would, either. He felt responsible, to a point. If he'd been strong enough then, if he'd tried harder, if they'd had a better strategy- could they have beat Asura, not just subdued him? Could they have saved Chrona? The kid had fucked up plenty of times, sure, but with a mother like Medusa who wouldn't? He thought Chrona's act of heroism had more than made up for past wrongs, even if he was sort of miffed that they'd stolen the spotlight.

"Yo, Black Star!" He waved to one of the city's many food vendors as they called out to him, heading over to where they were set up and already handing out breakfast sandwiches and mediocre coffee to the sleep deprived business workers of Death City.

"Yo, dude," he said, snagging a sandwich and putting his pay on the counter, helping to fill orders for a bit since the line was getting long. He couldn't remember the name of this dude, but he was in his mid 20s and he was pretty decent conversation in the morning. "Hey, you know any good places to eat dinner?"

"Ain't even 6 AM yet, ain't'cha kinda ahead of yourself?" He chuckled and Black Star snorted, putting more wrapped sandwiches on the display warmer as the line died out for a few minutes.

"I have a date tonight-" The guy wolf whistled and Black Star elbowed him; he'd thought it as gently, but the elbowee winced and rubbed his side.

"Drop by my dad's restaurant, yeah?" He scribbled out a name and address on a napkin as Black Star popped the rest of his sandwich in his mouth. "I'll save ya good seats. This date of yours pretty? I mean she's gotta be, right?"

"Eyes to yourself," Black Star warned, successfully evading the question as he took the napkin and shoved it in his pocket, taking a swig of his water. "Gotta go, see you later!"

"You better show up, man! I wanna meet this girl!" Black Star waved him off, deciding that now would be a good time to head home- preferably before he blew nervous chunks all over the sidewalk.

* * *

At 4:30 exactly, Black Star rung the doorbell to Gallows Manor; normally he'd just let himself in, but he thought that would be weird in this situation. Patty answered the door almost immediately, as if she'd been waiting for him, and giggled at his appearance before beckoning him in excitedly.

"Ki-ddo~! Your date is heeeere~!" Black Star heard Kid reply something about being right there, but his heart was pounding too loud in his ears for him to hear properly. His stomach twisted up again and he picked at nonexistent fuzz on his pants, the back of his neck heating up as Patty giggled again. Kid came out, in attire only a little less formal than usual, and Black Star felt his anxiety diminish. It was fine! Everything was totally okay; it was just him and Kid, and Kid was here in front of him, so obviously he wasn't going to back out-

Fuck, had _that_ been what he was worried about? He was going to punch himself. Kid quickly looked him up and down and he grinned, holding out his arms.

"Do I pass inspection?" He teased; Kid walked toward him, fixing the placement of one of his shoulder seams before taking a step back and nodding.

"Perfect." He offered a smile, but Black Star knew it was a practiced one; he must have been distracted.

"You ready to go?" Kid nodded, looking to Patty.

"Dinner is in the fridge."

"Yes, sir!"

"Eat at five."

"Yes, sir!"

"I'll know if you didn't." She gave a slight pout, sticking her tongue out.

"Okay, okay! Just go! Have fun!" Kid eyed her for a critical moment before nodding again, allowing Black Star to open the front door for him.

"Phone? Keys? Wallet? Got everything?"

"You aren't my parent, Black Star." Kid eyed him from the side as he shut the front door, and Black Star just smiled.

"I want tonight to go perfectly! That's all."

* * *

The night didn't go perfectly.

The first hurdle came from almost the moment they tuned off of the street Gallows Manor was on. Kid's phone rang, and Black Star had no problem with Kid taking the call. One call tuned into two, three, ten, as well as numerous texts, all short and trivial. Kid continually muttered apologies to Black Star, who insisted he didn't mind; he was used to it, after all. It was a bit disappointing, sure, but Kid was the mayor, after all.

The second hurdle came at the restaurant; if Black Star had been thinking ahead, he would have made reservations somewhere that would have given them a bit of privacy, but he hadn't. Their meal was interrupted several times by people in awe of both he and Kid, questioning what kind of business they were here on, etc. etc. It wasn't until Black Star none-too-subtly took Kid's hand and laced their fingers on top of the table that people stopped approaching them and the waitress stopped flirting with Kid.

The third hurdle was, again, because of Kid's phone; they were at the restaurant finishing their meals when it rang, the tone different from the other calls. Kid frowned, picking it up and speaking in hushed tones to whomever was on the other line. After just a couple of minutes, he hung up and gave a little sigh, looking at Black Star. Black Star knew what was coming.

"You have somewhere to be, right?" He asked with a grin, not allowing his disappointment to show on his face. "It's alright, you can go."

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Hey, you don't have to apologize, Kiddo! You have responsibilities." Kid frowned a bit, waving for the waiter to bring their receipt.

"... Do you want to come with me? I know it's not a movie, obviously, but we were supposed to be together for longer than this and I don't want to break my word." Black Star grinned and Kid glanced away; they both knew Kid hadn't _promised_ him anything. Did Kid want to spend more time with him, too?

"Yeah, of course I do! What a dumb question." Black Star paid for their meals and stood, stretching a moment before following Kid out of the restaurant. He took Kid's hand as they started down the street, fingers tingling when Kid squeezed them briefly.

* * *

Midnight found them on the doorstep of Gallows Manor again, both covered in dust and smears of blood that weren't their own.

"I'm sorry," Kid said in what Black Star had long ago dubbed his Diplomatic Voice. "Tonight was meant to be time I dedicated to you, but I still-"

"Kiddo," Black Star said, and Kid started a bit, blinking and looking down at Black Star. Black Star stood at the bottom, step, Kid three above him, and Kid's pupils were dilated, still high strung from the fight they'd just finished. "I don't mind. I don't _care_. You don't have to pretend with me, you know that."

"I'm not pretending, I truly am-" Kid started protesting immediately, but Black Star spoke over him.

"I know you are! I know. I'm not saying you aren't, I'm just saying- if you'd ignored your work, even for someone as big as me, you wouldn't be the dude I liked, you know?" He grinned, holding a hand up to Kid, who took it slowly. "I had fun tonight hanging out with you. I hope you did, too. It's been really long since we got to fight side by side like that." He gave Kid's fingers a squeeze, and Kid squeezed in return; Black Star saw him swallow.

"I just. You wanted tonight to be perfect, that's what you said."

"And it totally was! I can't think of a better first date than beating kishins into a pulp." That wasn't a lie. Black Star felt refreshed, buzzing with energy, and it was taking almost everything he had not to whoop and holler this late at night.

"... Take me on another date soon?" Black Star thought his face was going to split apart from how widely he grinned, and he stepped up a step to look at Kid more closely.

"Any time, Kiddo." He watched Kid turn and walk into his house before turning to go home himself; he made sure to wait until he was in his apartment to pump his fist in victory and let out a whoop, which earned him a few bangs on the wall from neighbors. Grinning, he went straight to take a shower, stripping as he went; he'd have to call Kilik later and tell him about the date, since he seemed like the only reliable friend unrelated to the situation Black Star had at this point.

* * *

** A/N: listen... listen. i don't know if you guys actually like this unless i get reviews or messages about it. hmu

ALSO i've been thinking about making a twitter or tumblr or maybe a forum topic dedicated to updates/discussion for asas? idk though what do y'all think


	9. Chapter 9

"So uh... Soul's okay, right?"

"Of course! The doctors say that he should wake up soon, so everything will be fine." Black Star could see Maka was straining to keep her smile over the video chat; she wanted to be with Soul, not talking to Black Star, who hadn't had a decent conversation with either of them in a week. He'd had to find out from Kid that Soul had been attacked; he could tell by the sympathetic looks that everyone else had already known.

It had been a normal patrol, Maka said. There had been disturbances at night lately, and the two of them were more than capable of playing lookout; any place's streets were quiet compared to Death City's. They'd found a little girl crying on the sidewalk and, long story short, she'd been a witch who attacked Soul. Black Star had tuned everything else out (something about tensions between witches outside of the main coven and Shibusen coming to a peak), too worried about Soul to really think about much else.

"Star- he'll be fine, really! No way one witch is gonna take him down, huh?" Her smile seemed a little more genuine, but he knew it wasn't for him. He grunted in response, letting out a little sigh and putting a hand in his hair, tugging at it a bit. He needed to occupy his hands before he _punched_ something. "You okay?" He smiled and nodded, then frowned. No, no he wasn't "okay", with this situation or how they'd been tip toeing around each other.

"Uh, you know, actually- I'm not. No." Maka furrowed her brows and opened her mouth, but Black Star cut her off, staring into the camera. "Why the fuck have you and Soul been avoiding me?" He was angry. He tried not to get like this- knew it scared his friends, scared Angela, scared everyone- but he couldn't help it now. The frustration building up since they'd left on the trip, the anxiety he was feeling over his best friend being in a coma, however short term, the ugly feeling in his chest he got every time he heard Maka's stupid excuses about why they couldn't talk right then- all of it had been coming to a head, and this had finally broken the dam,

"And- don't say you're not, okay, I can hear it when you guys talk to me, I mean for fuck's sake, I can see it on your _face_ right now-"

"Black Star, you ne-"

"I don't need to do anything!" He threw his hands in the air and they came back down, tugging at his hair again. "I've been racking my brain like crazy trying to figure out just what I did to piss you guys off so much, and I can't come up with anything! I wish you'd just tell me so we could- could punch it out or something! _Agh!_ " The little yell of frustration earned him his neighbors banging on the wall again, and he shook his hands out, standing and crossing his arms while looking at Maka on the computer screen. He needed to be up, doing something, everything was too much right now.

"Black Star, I-" she paused, like she expected to be interrupted again, but he just stood there with his teeth clenched. He knew he needed to let her talk, even if all he wanted to do was cuss her out. She lifted her hand to her mouth, chewing at her nail for a second. "... It's not really my place to tell y-"

" _Bullshit!_ Dude! We tell each other everything, and fucking- I don't know if you know, but Kilik is a _shitty_ substitute for emotional talk! I love the dude, but Jesus Christ, his answer to everything is just 'fuck it out'!" Maka winced a little, turning her head to the side, a blotchy red-pink blush working its way up her neck. She was embarrassed, ashamed- _good_.

"Star. When Soul wakes up, the three of us will talk about this, okay?" He saw her reach toward the screen, and he knew she was touching her fingertips to his shoulder. He wanted to cry; that sounded too much like a good bye.

"I cannot," he said, voice sounding thicker and more exhausted than he wanted it to, "keep doing this by myself." He saw Maka's eyes watering and wiped at his own angrily. "I need you guys. You're my best friends, and I- I just-" He took a breath. "If you guys are sick of me or something just. Just _tell_ me okay, I get it and I'll just fuck o-"

"I've been an awful friend," Maka blurted, wiping at the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Star, I'm so sorry- I promise I'm gonna fix how I've been acting, okay? I'm not sick of you, I would never- _could_ never- I'm _so sorry_. I didn't know you were feeling like this."

"Yeah, well. If you paid attention to me instead of rushing to hang up every time I call, maybe you would." She winced, but didn't argue; they both knew she deserved it.

"I'm really sorry," she said again, quietly. He nodded slowly and swallowed, slowly sitting down at the computer again. "When Soul wakes up, Stein is making us come home- let's talk it out when we're back, okay?" He nodded, cracking his knuckles one by one and looking anywhere but her face. He was embarrassed now about his outburst. "Star. Look at me." He looked up at her and glanced back down, then looked up again. She was smiling, and it didn't feel fake anymore. "I love you." His face went hot and he flipped her off, her laughter easing the knot in his chest a little.

"Dude, shut the fuck up." She giggled and he looked away; he always had trouble being affectionate after outbursts like this. He didn't think he _deserved_ to. "I love you, too," he muttered, and her smile washed away any doubt he'd had about her words. Everything would be okay with them; it always was.

* * *

** A/N: i'm so sorry for bein awol oh my G-D, i got sick n the holidays happened n... it all sucked so long story short i'm so sorry for the unannounced hiatus but things are chill again, so expect regular updates! sorry this is kinda rushed n shitty, i'll prob come back later n revise it a lil, i jus rly wanted 2 get it out for yall


	10. Chapter 10

Only a few days later saw both Maka and Soul returned home, safe and sound, Soul with an almost healed wound from his front through his back. Had it been anyone else, Stein said, they probably would have died, but the black blood in Soul had prevented anything too damaging. It was weird to think about; the black blood in Soul hadn't been seen in years, due to the fact that the world had been so _quiet_. Whispers of the attack had quickly spread through Shibusen after Maka and Soul returned, and some of the rumors going around were so alarming that Kid was going to address the school. Black Star stood in the back of the room, hands folded behind his back; Maka was closer to the front, hands tight around an ordinary staff planted between her feet. Maka and Black Star were on guard duty, of course; make sure no one snuck out or goofed off while Kid addressed the serious issue.

Soul sat up on the right behind the podium where Kid stood; Angela was smiling happily, kicking her feet from where she sat between him and Maba. A few members of the Witch Assembly stood behind Maba; it was not uncommon to see key members of the Witch Order at Shibusen for negotiations, and it was no surprise they were here today. Black Star was sure Angela was there as a way to ease everyone's fears, as well. The first witch in centuries, if not ever, to be raised equally between humans and witches. She waved excitedly to Black Star from where she sat, and a few people craned their necks to catch sight of him, curious.

"Students and citizens of Shibusen and Death City." Kid looked regal; he wore a cloak much the same as his father had used to, clasped together with a brooch fashioned after the late Lord Death's mask. Kid had no need to wear one as his father had, and the dark gold of his eyes was enough to stop anyone in their tracks if he laid his piercing gaze on them. He didn't sugarcoat his words, either, or speak in a voice that would calm the students; many of them were his own age, and he addressed them as equals. Murmurs broke out in the room and Kid stood stock still, waiting for them to die down before speaking again.

"Please hold your questions until the end; hopefully I'm thorough enough that your fears will be assuaged and your questions quieted." He looked down at himself and carefully (unnecessarily) centered the brooch between his collar bones before looking up to address the audience again. "I know you've all heard of the attack made on Soul Eater while away on the field trip. The attack was indeed the work of a witch." No one murmured this time; all eyes were wide and on Kid, waiting with bated breath for him to continue. There were reporters in the front of the room, all scribbling furiously on pads or holding up tape recorders.

"The witch who attacked Mr. Eater-" Soul snorted, and Black Star saw Maka glare in disapproval, "- is, as far as we can tell, unassociated with the main coven of witches that you have come to know best in these past years. At this time, it's unclear whether this was the work of a rogue witch or an entire coven. As you all know, we have been making negotiations with covens from all over the world; for a long time, several covens have been as divided from each other as they have from humans, all having different ideas of how to deal with us. We're hoping that as friendships and bonds grow stronger between Shibusen and the witch coven from the Witches' Realm, the largest in the world, the rest of the population- humans, witches and others alike- will follow suit.

"While the attack on Mr. Evans was unprompted, we have to understand that it more than likely came from a place of deep sorrow, anger, and fear. Shibusen has been hunting witches relentlessly for far too long. Though we are trying to make up for it now and come to peace agreements, we can not expect this to be done soon. It will take time and patience; I would be unsurprised if my own successor is still continuing negotiations centuries from now in my place." There were a few murmurs again, but Kid spoke over them this time. "As to whether this was indeed the work of a coven or simply a lone witch seeking justice, we will find out. We will approach them with open arms, as we have countless times, and we will do what needs to be done to hopefully start the beginnings of trust with Shibusen." His gaze swept over the room; everyone seemed caught by it, no one moving.

"That being said," and his voice seemed to fill up the room, swell it to bursting, low and sincere as he continued looking through the audience, "if I or anyone else hears another word against the witches, _there will be a punishment._ " This seemed to send a jolt through the crowd, students looking away in shame and reporters getting antsy, no doubt ready to ask their questions. "If Shibusen's own students and staff, Death City's own residents, are so intolerable of our allies, how can we expect the rest of the world to accept them as well?

"I know this seems unfair. I know that none of you asked to be role models for the world, and I'm sorry you have been thrust into that position. Please, from the bottom of my heart, I ask- I beg- that you do not allow the feeling of injustice within you to sabotage what we are working so hard for here. I hope that as time goes on, your anger turns instead to pride; I hope that one day, you can all be as proud of yourselves as I am for being part of something so monumental." He looked over the crowd one more time as he finished speaking, then bowed his head slightly in a nod to make it clear he was finished talking. Cheers and applause filled the room not a second later; Black Star heard whistling he knew was from Kilik, and Black Star met Kid's eyes from across the room.

"You did great," he mouthed, and the side of Kid's mouth quirked up for a fraction of a second.

After the applause died down, Kid approached the microphones again. "Questions may be asked now. Please refrain from asking anything to Maba and the Witch Assembly themselves; they are here to show their solidarity and nothing more. Please respect their boundaries." Several reporters' hands had already shot up, as well as a few students and citizens. Kid gestured to reporters one by one and answered their inquiries (where had the attack taken place, had there been any more, did he consider the situation to be under control, were the other students still on the trip safe) effortlessly, his answers unpracticed but sounding as natural and assured as if he'd been expecting these exact questions.

"Lord Death," (it was still a shock when people called him that, and Star knew Kid hated it,) "you mentioned your 'successor'- don't you think it's a bit early for that kind of talk?" Kid paused, and Star knew the question had surprised him.

"... No, I don't," Kid began carefully, and reporters were scribbling on their pads again. Black Star could practically see the smoke from how quick their pencils were going, and Maka rolled her staff between her hands nervously. "It is a Shinigami's duty to think about the continuation of their line, and it is no different for me regardless of my age. Had circumstances with my father and the world been different, it would have been several more centuries before I reached my full potential as a Shinigami and took my father's place." Black Star hoped he'd been the only one to notice how tight Kid's shoulders had gotten. "Whether it be a year or a thousand years years from now, I need to be sure that the public, humans and witches alike, understand that I will one day be gone and my child will take my place."

"Heavy talk for a seventeen year old," one of the reporters offered, and several of them chuckled. Black Star's eyes narrowed, arms crossing tighter over his chest. "Shouldn't you be less worried about children and more worried about teenage things? Dating, perhaps?" There were a few more titters from the reporters, and Black Star was proud he heard none from the students or other citizens. Many of them had glares fixated on the reporters, Soul included.

"If you are that concerned with my _personal_ life, I will gladly answer your questions in a different, _scheduled_ interview. For today could we stick to the topic at hand, perhaps?" Now it was the students who were giggling; before Kid had been thrust into power, many of them had been on the receiving end of that same snark. A ripple went through the reporters, and it was back to business after that. Nearly another hour passed before the press conference was over; the reporters left first, Kid not allowing them to stay for more last minute questions they'd "forgotten" to ask, and teachers let the citizens leave next before herding the students back to classes. In the end, few people remained in the room; Kid, of course, along with the others on stage, Black Star, Maka, and a couple of older students congratulating Kid on his take down of the reporters before heading out.

Kid turned to the witches after the straggling students had left, giving a small bow of respect to Maba, who inclined her head in turn. "My deepest apologies if anything I said today was out of line. I know some of the questions led in directions we hadn't previously spoken of, but I thought it better to show a united front than conferring right there on stage if it was alright to mention." Maba and her Assembly members began conversing with him, and Black Star was distracted by a small attacker running at him and wrapping themself around his torso with a high pitched noise of delight.

"Spiky!" Black Star pried Angela off of him by her armpits, hauling her up to sit on his shoulders. She was getting too old for this now, but neither cared.

"Hey there, Short Stack." She giggled, fisting her hands in his hair to hold on and chattering happily about everything from her training to playing dress up. She had in the past few years, dare he say it, become akin to a younger sibling to him (maybe even a daughter if he didn't focus too hard on the implications). Black Star climbed the stairs to the stage where Maka stood next to Soul, and Black Star reached out, clasping Soul's hand in his. Usually they would have done their one armed shoulder hug, but Soul wasn't exactly in good condition for that.

"Hey, man," Soul said easily, but Black Star could hear the physical and awkward strain. Between his friends returning last night and the press conference today, they still hadn't had time to talk things through- he wasn't even sure if Soul would be willing to, only that Maka had promised him _she_ would, at least. An unfamiliar tension hung in the air, and it made his chest heavy.

"Black Star?" He turned immediately, grateful for the chance to get away from the suffocating bubble that seemed to envelop he and his two best friends.

"Yeah, Ki-, uh, Lord Death?" Soul snorted at Black Star's fumble, but in his defense he'd forgotten the witches were still here.

"Kid is fine, Star." That made his chest warm, and he smiled. Angela rested her chin on his head, no doubt curious to know what The Adults were talking about. "Maba has informed me that the witches will be having a meeting soon to address the attack. Kim will have to go, but Angela is too young, and since she's so attached to you we were wondering if you would be willing to help me look after her if she remains here at Shibusen for the duration of the meeting. It could go on for several days." Black Star patted Angela's foot, bouncing her on his shoulders.

"Whaddaya think, Short Stack? Wanna hang with me while they do boring meetings and sh- stuff?"

"I really get to stay with Spiky?" Angela asked in awe, her little body practically vibrating in excitement. One of the Assembly nodded and Angela crowed with delight, wrapping her arms around Black Star's head and obscuring his sight. "We're gonna have so much fun! You can teach me how to fight and paint with me and we can color pictures for Kim and Tsubaki!" She continued chattering and Black Star nodded in the direction of Kid and the witches.

"Yeah, it's fine with me. She's a good kid, there shouldn't be any trouble." He reached up to move one of Angela's arms and saw the leftover traces of a smile on Kid's face, his hand covering his mouth. Black Star grinned. "Will she be staying at the mansion with you?"

"I thought that would be best; it's much more fortified than your apartment and the school isn't exactly a comfortable place to sleep." Black Star knew; many a time he'd fallen asleep while helping Kid with paperwork, and waking up to the high ceilings and arched hallways was a bit disorienting. "You could stay over if you like as well, it's not as if we haven't got the room-"

"She could always just stay with us," Soul said, and Black Star turned to look at him; he'd almost forgotten the other was even there. "It's homier. More similar to Kim's apartment, right? Angela and Star would probably both be more comfortable there." Maka's hand was white knuckled on his shoulder, a displeased expression on her face; his own expression was tight, pinched, and Angela quieted, leaning more against Black Star. Kid raised a brow, folding his hands in front of him and clasping them together.

"I suppose that would be up to Black Star and Angela." All eyes were suddenly on him, and Angela hid her face in his hair. He patted her leg reassuringly.

"S'not a big deal, Soul, it's not like I haven't stayed at the manor before. You and Maka don't have enough room for all four of us to sleep there comfortably, it's chill. I can stay with Kid and Patty, Short Stack'll be glad for the company." Soul's lips were pressed in a tight line.

"Still- Kid's gonna be busy with all this, do you really think it's a good idea to bother him right now?" Black Star's throat tightened; what Soul was saying made sense, but things were so _awkward_ between them. Soul was hardly even talking to him; did he hate Black Star so much now that he didn't want to force him on to Kid? Did he assume that everyone thought Black Star as much of a nuisance as he did?

"Black Star keeps me company on a daily basis." Kid's tone was cutting. "Angela is well behaved, and Black Star is nothing less than a help to me, as surprising as that may sound." (Black Star only managed a half-hearted 'hey' before Kid continued. "I don't appreciate the implication that I can't handle having guests in my home for a few days."

"What's the press going to say?" Soul argued obstinately, and Black Star heard Maka's severe _"Soul!"_ from where he stood several feet away. "People clearly already think you're unable to do your job because of your age and the fact that you've had enough free time to go on dates lately but you sent over 100 students on a field trip to a hostile area-"

"Soul, what the _fuck_?" Black Star demanded, reaching up to cover Angela's ears from hearing his expletive. Soul stopped for a moment, eyes hard, before continuing.

"All I'm saying is, they're gonna think you're shacking up. Especially after what you said today about a successor and the future, they'll think you're trying to shirk your duties because you're tired of doing-"

"You keep saying 'they', Soul, but you're the only one to have voiced these thoughts." Kid's voice was quiet and hard, and Black Star could see his white knuckles from how hard he was clasping his hands. "I am not shirking any duties, I am not _incompetent_ , and anyone who thinks otherwise is welcome to say so to my face and receive an explanation. I am having guests in my home for a few days, and that's all there is to it." Kid's shoulders were tight, and Black Star wished he could reach out and squeeze one like usual. "Of course I'm thinking of the future, but this has nothing to do with it." Kid glanced to Black Star and Angela before looking back at Soul, eyes blazing but face impassive. "Aside from the fact that Black Star and Angela are the only two people close to me with the longevity to keep me company hundreds of years down the line." Soul started, Maka's face dropping in shock at the implications, and Black Star realized with a small revelation that Kid was right.

Hundreds of years down the line, as Kid had put it, they would still be here- him, Kid, Angela, possibly even the other witches in the room. Soul and Maka would not. Tsubaki, Patty, Liz, Kilik, Jackie, the rest of Spartoi excluding Kim- they'd all be gone. _Being a god is lonely_ , he thought, watching Kid's back as he escorted the witches from the room to a more secluded space for them to return to their realm.

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** A/N: i was like halfway thru this chapter when i realized how misleadin the descript of this fic is cos like... ya it's about kid and black star but there is _so_ much more goin on whoops

alright again, not 2 sound naggy, but i really need feedback from y'all. this story has over 1000 views and only 12 reviews which is sad imo; if u like it, tell me why. if u hate it, tell me why. it will help me 2 improve as a writer and keep me motivated 2 write the fic! if u'd rather pm me that's cool 2; i dont expect full blown critiques on my writin, but even u sayin "i love how u wrote this interaction because" or "i hate how u write this character because" etc etc is super good! i dont care if u wanna spend 10 paragraphs gushin at me or 10 paragraphs tearing me down, all i want is som good ol fashioned feedback. thx! happy readin guys, sorry for this bein later on wednesday than usual; my sleep schedule's been a lil weird lately.

btw... this is officially the longest chapter, clockin in at 3,080 words before the a/n!


	11. Chapter 11

"This is total _bullshit_ , we said no tabloids or magazines! Just newspapers and news stations! God, shoulda hauled that guy out on his ass as soon as he said something about dating-"

"Star, sh," Kid muttered; Black Star looked over to where his friend sat, his eyebrows pulled together and face set into a deep frown. He was reading the same article Maka had just texted Black Star about; it wasn't from some big magazine, it was just a gossip rag made in Death City (and the fact that it was local was all that mattered). News stations all over the country were already catching wind of the story the magazine had printed, and he had no doubt they ordered it; why wouldn't they, when Kid's face was plastered on the cover like this?

 _ **Should we be calling Lord Death "Young Master"?**_

 _Ten reasons the teen god may not be as mature as you think!_

The article was just a bunch of crock, of course, bringing up stuff about him being "catty" at the press conference and "letting" Soul be attacked (as if that were somehow his fault), going on dates... Black Star had really just skimmed it, too angry to see anything straight.

"... Do you think I need to be more like my father?" The question startled Black Star from his own thoughts, and he looked over where Kid sat. He was gripping the magazine tightly, pages taut and eyes trained on the article, down near the bottom. Black Star walked over, peering over Kid's shoulder. It was a two page spread, complete with pictures of Kid at the press conference the day before, and a couple of grainy photos of Kid and himself (though he was blurred out) out for dinner or lunch.

 _"Possibly the most controversial point to talk about is that he [Kid] doesn't act anything like his father," an anonymous source tells us. "He used to be a bright and happy- well, kid. Ever since the late Lord Death passed, Kid has changed tremendously, and not in a positive way. I hate to say so, but whether it be the shock of losing his father or being thrust into a position of authority so quickly, I just don't think Kid has had time to process the death and mature the way he needs to to be able to lead us as a people. Lord Death never would have tried to make us make nice with witches."_

"Anonymous source my ass," Black star muttered, his hand resting lightly between Kid's shoulder blades for a few seconds. "They pulled that shit outta their ass, this is all politics! They just wanna make you look bad!" Kid smoothed out the creases where he'd gripped the magazine, closing it gently and setting it off to the side. He closed his eyes, leaning back against his chair, and steepled his fingers near his lips.

"It doesn't matter, Star," he murmured, entire body still except for his mouth. "Regardless of whether someone I trust said that or whether it was someone I don't know personally or whether they just made it up- the public is going to agree. It's going to put a huge dent in my support." Black Star crouched down, resting his chin on the arm of Kid's throne, looking up at him. "I don't- I can't quite-" He paused, clearly unable to word what he wanted to say. Black Star reached up, putting a hand over one of Kid's, and Kid leaned closer to him in response.

"I'm not human enough," Kid settled with finally, and a soft breath escaped Black Star's lips. "For the public to trust me, to look to me as a leader- I'm not someone they can empathize with. I'm too closed off for them, but I know-" Another pause; Black Star squeezed Kid's hand. "I think," Kid amended finally, "that if I tried to be what they wanted me to, I'd just... Crumble." The last word was so quiet Black Star wasn't sure if he'd heard right, but the fact that Kid wouldn't open his eyes when Black Star didn't respond right away told him he probably had.

"And you can't afford that," Black Star said after a few minutes, and Kid nodded, relaxing a bit.

"I can't," Kid agreed quietly. "I- This controlled madness in me, it needs to _stay_ controlled, and I don't think I could keep it that way if I wasn't... _This_ way." Black Star felt guilty for a second, for wanting Kid to return to how he'd been before his father's death, but the feeling faded quickly. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, the only noise in the room the muted chatter from the students in the halls.

"Okay, so what's the game plan, then? We gotta make sure the public stays swayed in your favor, or it could cause problems with the peace negotiations." Black Star stood, picking up the magazine again and flipping to the story about Kid; Kid watched him, not seeming to have an answer quite yet. Black Star flipped through the magazine a bit, seeing if there was anything else in there relating to Kid.

"No more dates," Kid said after a few minutes. "That seems to be something they're really stuck on, my teenage hormones," he snorted, "and me being irresponsible."

"Done," Black Star said easily. They had hundreds of years for dates, assuming Kid let him stick around that long. "What else?"

"We hold another press conference- smaller this time. A few journalists from local news stations and newspapers, handpicked by us. Maybe Maka can do that part, she would know best because of her father, mm?" It wasn't an actual question; Kid was already up, moving around the room and organizing things, then sitting back down with a pad of paper and a pen. "They can ask me about my personal life, about the attack, about my plans for the coming years- whatever they want. It will allow me to seem in control of the situation by approaching them before they approach me. Should I ask them in advance for lists of questions? Maybe that's tacky, I am the one offering them the interview after all. I'll just make a list of things they'll probably ask and practice answering them." He was still talking to himself, and Black Star was content to lean against his throne and look over his shoulder as he wrote everything down.

"It'll have to wait until we're not watching Angela though, fuck-" Kid paused, seeming almost surprised at the obscenity that had come from his mouth.

"I'll keep an eye on her while you're at your interview, Kiddo, don't worry." Black Star reached down, plucking the pen from Kid's grasp and moving to cross out the dates Kid had written, but Kid stopped him.

"What? No, I want you _there_." That gave Black Star pause and he straightened, catching Kid's eye. The two stared at each other for a moment, not saying anything, then both started to speak at the same time.

"Of course, if you don't want to be there, it's fine, I suppose I just assumed-"

"What are we, Kid?" Black Star's question made Kid's words die in his throat, and they were both silent again, Kid still meeting his gaze.

"We're... Friends," Kid said slowly, eyes searching Black Star's face for any reaction. Black Star didn't give any, sensing that wasn't all Kid wanted to say and waiting for him to continue.

"No pressure," Black Star said after a few more seconds of silence. "I'm here no matter what. I just want to be clear; it's something they're probably going to ask you anyway, right?" Kid was saved having to answer by Maka throwing open the door, stomping in with the magazine in hand.

"Unbelievable!" She said indignantly, scowl on her face, and Kid went back to writing on his pad (silently now) while Black Star and Maka verbally tore the article to shreds.

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** A/N: okay, rewrote the chapter now that i'm not in the middle of passin out after over 24 hours of no sleep?

thinkin about making a forum to reply to guest reviews, especially cos they've been some of the most helpful! i didn't relize how hard i'd made it to read the dialogue, sorry bout that

someone also pmed me about chapter transitions, so i'll try to work harder on those as well! i might go back and fix those 2 things in earlier chapters if i find the time

please review if u have anythin 2 say, constructive or not!


	12. Chapter 12

Black Star easily settled back into his role as Kid's Friend™ in the days leading up to Angela's stay with them; it was no problem to stop flirting when he knew it was what Kid needed. The sudden lack of advances seemed to throw Kid for a loop, but Black Star figured he'd ask about it when he had less on his plate. He was busy enough that he didn't have too much time to dwell on the state of things between them, and Black Star thought that was best.

The time not spent helping Kid with preparations for Angela, the exclusive interview, researching the history of the area where Soul had been attacked and other things were spent with Soul and Maka. Star and Maka had had a long talk about their friendship and the miscommunications that had happened; he and Soul hadn't done the same, but the weirdness that had been between them seemed to have dissipated and they were back to hanging out and playing video games, more often than not with Kilik.

"You know," Black Star said, kicking at a pebble with his toe. He and Kilik were walking home from Soul and Maka's, the two planning to pick up fast food somewhere before parting ways. "After Kid and I went on that first date, you kinda like... Backed off, I guess? I haven't seen much of you lately, man." Black Star glanced at Kilik, who only shrugged.

"I don't wanna get in the way of anything- People are already talking about some ridiculous love triangle thing with the three of us, y'know, and Kid's in the spotlight a lot lately. I thought it'd be better for him without adding on some scandal or whatever." This made Black Star laugh, and he punched his friend on the shoulder.

"Dude! No one thinks you and I are dating, and Kid and I aren't even dating-"

"Not dating? You go on dates, that's called dating." Kilik raised a brow, giving him a shoulder nudge.

"Kid needs a friend right now," Black Star clarified. "Not someone who's had a crush on him since they were 13." He opened the door to a fast food restaurant, waiting for Kilik to follow him in. "And I'm chill with that. We have like, a lot of time for dates. They don't have to happen right now, I can be patient." Kilik eyed him warily.

"Dude. Stop being mature, okay, it's weird." They both laughed after a few seconds, earning glares from a couple other customers.

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** A/N: i know this chapter is short and shitty and late and i'm really sorry

i just got out of an abusive relationship so that's been draining, and the rise of nazism in america is kind of really terrifying me right now

i'm going to try to do updates every other wednesday from now on but forgive me if stuff still comes late

if you want updates on the fic progress you can follow "sometimeseights" on tumblr, it's just an empty blog right now but i'm going to start posting there in a few days

super sorry guys, things are rough right now


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